Poverty Measurement Frameworks and Estimates

Unidimensional income-consumption measures and multidimensional deprivation indices produce divergent poverty counts, with direct consequences for how schemes like PMGKY or PDS are targeted. The Tendulkar Committee used a calorie-expenditure line; the Rangarajan Committee proposed revised consumption-based thresholds. NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index applies NFHS data across twelve deprivation indicators. Global benchmarks include the World Bank's purchasing-power-parity poverty lines. Debates persist over head-count ratios versus poverty-gap metrics, each carrying different policy implications for assessing depth and intensity of deprivation.